Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Friday 16 July 1999

Scottish Executive

Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to make representations to Her Majesty’s Government about the impact of the Financial Services and Markets Bill on Scottish Friendly Societies, in particular the Braemar Royal Highland Society and the Lonach Highland and Friendly Society, and, if so, whether these representations will include a request that the Bill be amended to reduce the costs and charges for which such societies will be liable.

Henry McLeish: The Financial Services and Markets Bill will set clear statutory objectives for the Financial Services Authority (FSA). The Bill imposes on the FSA a duty to ensure that the level of fees which it sets are efficient and economical and that the burdens it imposes are proportionate to the benefit to consumers. Clause 125 of the Bill imposes a requirement for the FSA to consult on proposals to make rules, including rules in relation to the FSA’s fees. Individual Friendly Societies will therefore be able to make representations direct to the FSA if they were concerned about the level of fees.

Health

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive in how many Health Board areas patients who are awaiting orthodontic treatment are now being placed on hospital waiting lists.

Susan Deacon: Most orthodontic treatments carried out within the Hospital and Community Health Service settings are undertaken on an outpatient basis and information on the number of patients waiting for such treatment is not held centrally. Information on waiting lists is collected centrally for hospital inpatients and day cases.

  The Scottish Executive is committed to set and monitor targets to speed treatment and shorten waiting times. We plan to ensure that this commitment extends to outpatients as well as inpatient and day case treatment and will consult widely before targets are set. These targets will be closely monitored and will be published.

Health

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many orthodontic consultants are employed in each Health Board area.

Susan Deacon: The information available is shown in the table:

  Consultants in Orthodontics by Health Board (Headcount Totals)

  

 

1997


1998p
  



Scotland¹


23


24




Ayrshire & Arran
  

2
  

2
  



Borders
  

1
  

1
  



Argyll & Clyde
  

2
  

2
  



Fife
  

1
  

1
  



Greater Glasgow
  

5
  

4
  



Highland
  

2
  

2
  



Lanarkshire
  

2
  

3
  



Grampian
  

1
  

1
  



Orkney
  

-
  

-
  



Lothian
  

2
  

2
  



Tayside
  

2
  

3
  



Forth Valley
  

2
  

2
  



Western Isles
  

-
  

-
  



Dumfries & Galloway
  

1
  

1
  



Shetland
  

-
  

-
  



  p Data for 1998 are provisional

  ¹ No orthodontic Consultants hold contracts in more than one Health Board area.

  Source: Information and Statistics Division of the Common Services Agency

Health

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what is its target number of orthodontic consultants in each Health Board area and on what basis such targets are set.

Susan Deacon: There are no target numbers set by the NHS for Consultant Orthodontic services in any Health Board or region in Scotland. The geography of Scotland, the distribution of its population and the variability of the population’s oral health needs make a blanket quota system inappropriate.

  It is for each Health Board to address the needs of the population in its area through its Health Improvement Programme. The Oral Health Strategy gives Health Boards the framework to do this.